CCS3: A New Beginning
by HA Senidal
Summary: Ch 1: After the events in The Enemy Revealed, Tokyo needs a lot of repair. Who'll do it?


Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura is the creative property of CLAMP. Cardcaptors is an alternate universe created by Nelvana and further altered by Kids' WB. Failure to distinguish between the two will earn you a visit from the Mecha-Pikachu ;o)  
  
[Kero-chan flies out and hovers over the stage.]  
  
Kero-chan: [Waves hello.] Konyanyachi wa! I'll be bringing you up to speed on what happened last time. [Clears throat.] The evil Cybers attacked the gozou and musume in Hong Kong and Eriol's magic students in England. [Mumbles.] Too bad the gozou survived...  
  
Syaoran: [From backstage.] I HEARD THAT!!!  
  
Kero-chan: Anyway, Eriol was kidnapped, the Cybers appeared in Tokyo, and they started attacking. I transformed into my magnificent true form and accompanied Sakura there along with Ruby Moon and Suppi. Tomoyo couldn't come because Sakura put her to sleep. That's too bad because I wanted to have her film me in action...  
  
Sakura: [From backstage]: KERO-CHAN!!!  
  
Kero-chan: Okay, okay...Well, we were...[Hesitates.] Um...do I have to say it?  
  
[HA points his Fishgun at Kero-chan. The Pikachu Posse are standing by with theirs.]  
  
Kero-chan: Okay, okay! Well, we ran into Psycho again, but he had three other Cybers as powerful as he was with him. We were defeated, and then...and then...  
  
Everyone: [a la Monty Python and the Holy Grail] GET ON WITH IT!!!  
  
Kero-chan: Okay! ThegozouandthemusumecamewithEriol'sstudentsandhelpedusdefeattheCybers!  
  
Sakura: [From backstage.] KERO-CHAN!  
  
Kero-chan: [Slows down.] Unfortunately, then their leader, the User, came. He was this kid magician calling himself Kaizer Cyberon. He summoned a giant Cyber named Algol to destroy Tokyo if Sakura didn't give him the Sakura Cards and Star Key. Ruby Moon and I tried to destroy it, but this dragon named Cyberus stopped us. [Clenches fist.] He froze me! That mechanized monstrosity dared to freeze me!  
  
Everyone: GET ON WTH IT!  
  
Kero-chan: Okay! Anyway, Eriol was trapped on Algol. While the gozou fought the Kaizer, Sakura freed him. When she came back, the gozou got badly beaten. [Starts to chuckle, which then becomes loud laughter. Stops when he hears a Fishgun being clicked.] Kaizer Cyberon defeated everyone, and Sakura was left alone. Despite the odds, she defeated him and destroyed Algol while he was on it. Well, we thought that was that, but the Kaizer survived, and he made this giant fortress named Nightfall appear in the sky. He told Sakura she was weak, mentioned something called "the beautiful night," then vanished. [Shuddered.] Last time I checked, the gozou was hugging her. Fate can be so cruel sometimes...  
  
HA: [Sweatdrops.] He's never doing these introductions by himself ever again. [Starts the fic.]  
  
A New Beginning  
Chapter 1: Restoration  
  
Among the devastated buildings of Tokyo, the boy dressed in green robes continued holding the girl in the padded superheroine costume. Li Syaoran continued to hold the crying form of Kinomoto Sakura against his shoulder. He stroked the back of her head and felt her short brown hair. "Sakura," he whispered.  
  
"All those people, all those people," she said through her tears. The young Cardmistress looked up into Syaoran's face. "It's my fault they're all dead. It's my fault..."  
  
Syaoran placed a finger on her lips and wiped away a tear from one of her emerald colored eyes. "You didn't cause all this," he said gently.  
  
Daidouji Tomoyo looked on as Syaoran continued to comfort Sakura. "I hope Sakura-chan will be all right."  
  
"She will be," Hiiragizawa Eriol remarked, still leaning on his Sun Staff. In his tattered robes, the reincarnation of Clow Read still demonstrated remarkable stamina. With Suppi-chan in her arms, Akizuki Nakuru stood with her master along with his three students and their Guardians.  
  
"Sakura, please," Syaoran whispered.  
  
"All those people are dead, and they didn't deserve to," Sakura sobbed. She lifted her head and looked at Eriol. "Eriol-kun..."  
  
Eriol shook his head solemnly. "Sakura-san, even if I was at full strength, I cannot do anything. Even the most powerful magic cannot bring back the dead."  
  
"What?!!" Li Meiling shouted, glaring at the master magician. "Then what about Tokyo? Those crazy robots almost destroyed it, and they could be back to finish the job!" As she spoke, she gestured at the destruction all around them.  
  
"Meiling-chan's right." Sakura bowed her head. "The city's in ruins, and it's all my fault."  
  
"That's total nonsense!" Kero-chan, the small orange-colored Beast of the Seal and Sakura's Sun Guardian, flew up to his mistress. "This is all that Kaizer Cyberon's fault! Him and his so-called Cyber World! They attacked Tokyo and killed all those people, not you."  
  
Syaoran placed his hand on Sakura's shoulder gently. "Sakura, you didn't know this would happen. You didn't know that the Cybers would attack here." He wiped a tear from her eye. "Please don't cry anymore. You have to be strong."  
  
"But Syaoran-kun," Sakura said, trying her best to follow his request and sniffling, "I don't have any magic that can fix all the damage the Cybers caused."  
  
"Leave it up to me!"  
  
All eyes turned to a red-haired girl dressed in overalls with a rainbow-colored pillbox hat. Leaning against a staff toped by a large star, she allowed her mouth to form a grin across her freckled face.  
  
"Are you outta your gourd?" someone yelled.  
  
Sakura saw that the speaker was the dark-haired boy dressed mainly in black. He walked up to the red-haired girl. "Ready, you can't just..." he began.  
  
"Just watch me, Brandon," Ready Brighton said. "Someone's got to fix everything, and since Sakura needs to rest..."  
  
Sakura blinked. "Brighton-san, what are you...?"  
  
"Stand back!" Ready shouted, raising her staff.  
  
Eriol reached out feebily towards his student. "Ready-san, wait..."  
  
"Don't!" Brandon Darque shouted, reaching for Ready.  
  
"Restoration!" Ready yelled.  
  
As soon as the word crossed her lips, a bright yellow light began to shine from the tip of the staff. The light expanded into a pillar and shot skyward, and Brandon was forced to stagger back. Sakura and the others were forced to shield their eyes to avoid being blinded by its intense glow.  
  
"Wh...What's going on?" Meiling yelled, keeping her head down.  
  
Sakura narrowed her eyes as Syaoran protected her with his arm. She swore she saw Ready encased inside the light pillar, which began to form a dome in the sky and flood the entire area. Trees, structures, streets, cars...everything in Tokyo quickly was bathed in the light.  
  
The spectacle lasted for a few minutes, and the sky gradually became clear again as the light faded away. Feeling that it was safe to look, everyone uncovered their eyes. Syaoran pulled his arm away from Sakura and opened his own eyes. Now able to see, Syaoran gasped at the sight before him.  
  
"Syaoran-kun, what...?" Sakura stopped in mid-sentence and allowed her mouth to drop slightly. "Hoooeeeeee..." she exclaimed, her green eyes wide with amazement.  
  
The damage caused by the battle was gone. Devastated buildings sported untouched windows. Bright green leaves and untouched bark marked the trees. The street was clear of blast marks and debris. Once bent or even destroyed, street signs were now standing proudly upright again.  
  
"Oh my," Tomoyo remarked as she surveyed the scene. For a brief moment, she frowned since her camcorder was not working at the moment.  
  
"Amazing," Maya Torres remarked, studying the repairs through her glasses.  
  
"Wow!" Kero-chan exclaimed, flying around to see the sights. "It looks like nothing happened."  
  
"Eriol, she did it!" Nakuru exclaimed happily, squeezing Suppi-chan a little too tightly for his own good, resulting in his face quickly reddening and his blue eyes almost popping out of his face. "Ready did it!"  
  
Eriol looked grimly at Ready, who was finally visible to everyone. Her back was to the group, and her staff was now grounded next to her.  
  
Kero-chan flew up to the young Starlighter's face. "Hey, you did it! You fixed Tokyo," he said happily.  
  
Sakura and Syaoran walked up to Ready. "Arigato, Brighton-san!" Sakura said excitedly once she could see Ready's face. Then, she froze. "Brighton-san?"  
  
Ready's blue eyes were half-open, and she seemed to be staring blankly in front of her. Her skin tone was paler than normal, and her body was shaking. Syaoran saw her hand tighten around her staff. Her breathing sounded low and rapid.  
  
"Ready?" Brandon was approaching her slowly. "Ready?"  
  
"Mistress?" a small winged unicorn asked.  
  
Ready's staff vanished in a yellow light and flew into the medallion around her neck. With nothing holding her up, Ready started to fall forward to the ground. A slight moan escaped her lips.  
  
"Ready!" Brandon ran as fast as he could, prepared to catch his friend. Behind him, everyone else ran after him.  
  
Before the young Shadowwalker could get to Ready, a dark shape dashed in front of him and appeared in front of the falling girl. Two gloved hands caught Ready before she could feel the hard impact of the ground below her. Her eyes closed, she leaned against a tall man dressed in dark armor and a cape. Above her, two red eyes on a long pale face looked at her with concern.  
  
His mouth unconsciously forming a frown, Brandon froze in his place with his eyes still on the pale man. Sakura, Syaoran, and Kero-chan looked at Ready's savior, who lifted the unconscious girl and held her in his arms. Long dark hair descended from the top of his head, which was covered by a wide brimmed hat. Two long elven ears stuck out of the somewhat long mane.  
  
Now, everyone was surrounding the pale man and the unconscious Starlighter. The winged unicorn flew up to the redhead and looked at her. As everyone present looked at Ready, no one spoke a word.  
  
"What happened?" Meiling asked, breaking the silence.  
  
Eriol shook his head. "She overexerted herself," he answered. "To use the Restoration power at that large a scale takes a lot out of the user. It requires a strong will and a large magical power reserve to do it. Ready did fulfill that requirement, but she drained most of her powers during the battle, and she hasn't built up on her power reserve yet."  
  
Sakura walked up to Ready so she could see her pale freckled face. "Is...is...is she...?"  
  
"She is still alive," the pale man assured her.  
  
"Thank God," Brandon whispered, his downcast eyes on Ready. Tomoyo picked up on this and looked at Maya, who nodded silently. "Uh, thanks, Umbriel," he said.  
  
"It is my duty," the pale man replied, keeping his gaze on Ready.  
  
The winged unicorn patted Ready's forehead. "Hang in there, Ready."  
  
"Don't worry, Uni," a small bear with a spiked shell said from below. "She's a tough one. The boss and I know that too well."  
  
"O.G. is correct, Pegasus Uni," Umbriel said.  
  
"She'll be all right, Sakura," Syaoran said, putting his hand on her shoulder. Looking into her face, he smiled reassuringly.  
  
"I hope so, Syaoran-kun," the young Cardmistress said. "I don't want anyone else to die."  
  
Umbriel looked skyward into the distance. "Helicopters are approaching our position. I recommend we depart at once."  
  
"Yeah. I'd be hard to explain why we're here," Brandon said, trying to force a light-hearted tone into his voice.  
  
"We'll take care of that," Nakuru said. "Suppi-chan, the teleportation spell..."  
  
"I will handle this," Umbriel said. "Everyone, come closer to me."  
  
"But, Umbriel..." Nakuru began.  
  
"I am fine," Umbriel said firmly, fixing his red eyes on the androgynous Moon Guardian. "We must hurry. Everyone, to me."  
  
Sakura and the others obeyed the Darkling and formed a close circle around him. "This is unusual," Syaoran said to Sakura as he got into position.  
  
"What is, Syaoran-kun?" Sakura asked.  
  
"A Darkling showing compassion for a human," the Chinese magician answered, keeping his gaze on Umbriel, who looked down on the unconscious Ready.  
  
"Concentrate on returning to Sakura's house," Umbriel told the others.  
  
"There's no place like home, there's no place like home..." Brandon quipped.  
  
A few groans broke out among the Americans, Eriol, and his two Guardians. Syaoran did his best not to swing his sword at the Shadowwalker. He resigned himself to muttering "Assassin" under his breath.  
  
Umbriel concentrated, and soon the group was covered in a blue light. A few seconds later, everyone was gone. About twenty minutes later, the helicopters from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces only found the Tokyo Tower area empty and mysteriously restored along with the rest of the city. 


End file.
